Playful Exploration at the Curiosity Conference
Stephanie Foland, Director of Enrichment, and Atelierista Vicky de la Garza P'23'27 spent last Saturday tinkering, talking, and playing at the 9th annual Curiosity and Learning Conference!
"The conference was a wonderful opportunity to connect with like-minded schools," Foland shared. "We had the chance to share our projects and learn from others, fostering a sense of camaraderie and collaboration in our shared mission of supporting STEAM learning in the classroom."
“It was almost like [Advent’s] Makerspace Day for grown-ups! Seeing them all play and have fun together was so fun.”
Foland and de la Garza presented an exploration of sound. Participants became sound explorers in acoustics, vibrations, and resonance. They engaged their senses and curiosity, delving into sound, pitch, and frequency principles using simple yet captivating materials, including glasses, water, tuning forks, and more.
The idea to study sound came - as many fantastic, unique ideas do - from a Kindergartener. In the Atelier, the students observed that materials produce different sounds and how vibrations travel through water, sand, or clay. de la Garza shared with conference participants how following children's lead can foster profound learning experiences, noting, "It was rewarding to see teachers inspired by the possibilities of incorporating playful exploration into their classrooms to nurture curiosity and learning."
Foland and de la Garza enjoyed spending the day with other curious educators, exploring new topics, and gaining a new perspective on STEAM education. They even got to hang out with some guinea pigs!
The BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development presented and hosted the conference.
All of the images are courtesy of BU Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.
